When nightmares come true
by KS Claw
Summary: Elrods worst nightmare comes true when his son David is invovled with the Vipermutagen #368 (Final chapter up)
1. Prologue + chapter 1: The tour

WHEN NIGHTMARES COME TRUE  
  
by KS Claw  
  
Half of it is inspired by a sci-fi-novel I once read, and half of it is based on many ideas  
that I have been going through for a long time now. And then I am amazed that this is gonna be  
my first long story, since my Marekat-trilogy. Hope you´ll like the story.  
--------------------------------  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
"Daddy? Why is grandma sad?" David asked, as he was laying a puzzle, while his dad was drinking   
coffee and reading the newspaper.   
  
"Grandpa is sick. He´s at the hospital." Elrod said. He sighed and put his cup down. Crud,   
how was he going to explain it to David?  
  
"Why is grandpa sick? Will he be OK again?" David asked quietly. Elrod bit his lower lip.  
  
"I don´t know David. He....has a pain in his chest....which won´t go away." He said and looked   
down sadly. David frowned, and returned to his puzzle. He could see that his dad was sad, and  
didn´t want to talk much about it. Jodie, Davids 2nd grandmother came out from the kitchen,   
carrying a tray with cookies.  
  
"Who wants cookies?" She asked cheerfully. David beamed and jumped down from his chair and ran   
over to her. Even though she wasn´t his real grandmother, he still loved her. His dad had told   
him once about how Davids real grandmother, Miranda Purvis, the real mother of Elrod, had died  
in a car-accident when his dad was 9 years old. David was of course too young, to understand  
it completely. To him, everything was a happy world with all the people that he loved.   
  
Elrod knew his young son wouldn´t accept that his grandfather was going to die.  
  
"Which is why its best not to tell him....yet..." Elrod thought with a small sigh and took a sip  
of his coffee. Jodie noted his expression, then smiled at David.  
  
"Here David, heres some cookies. Now why don´t you go out in the garden and see how my roses are  
doing?" She asked him. David noddled then ran off and out of the door. Jodie put the tray of   
cookies on the table and sat down in front of Elrod.  
  
"I can tell you are thinking about something darkly." She said. Elrod sighed, and nodded alittle  
at that. "I....was thinking about Eric....." Jodie nodded.  
  
"I still think...that if we hadn´t had that fight....David wouldn´t be without a grandfather..."  
Elrod muttered, then looked up as his stepmother placed her paw on his.  
  
"Don´t torment yourself with that kind of thoughts....what has happened, has happened. And there  
is nothing to do about it. You know it." Elrod looked away.  
  
"18...I was nothing more but 18.....and we had a fight about something as stupid as my choice  
of career...." He sighed, then rested his elbows on the table, his head resting in his paws.   
Jodie nodded softly.  
  
"And he couldn´t take it that you where growing up, I guess...and the same with Samantha. We all  
went through a hard time when Eric hit the bottle...." Elrod closed his eyes and bit his lower   
lip, memories flashing in his mind.....  
  
"....And you still got that scar from one of the earlier fights." Jodie sighed. Elrod nodded.  
  
"Thats one thing Sharrakus didn´t remove when he turned me back..." He murmured, recalling how  
he after that fight with Syphon had been dying, and the old, mysterious kat had saved his life.   
  
"Why, I don´t know....perhaps as a reminder..." He muttered and stroked a zigzagged scar on his   
left arm, right on the elbow. His dad had smashed a bottle and tried to cut him with it, but he   
had just managed to protect his face with his, resulting in the scar he had now.   
  
So many years......  
  
"With so many painful memories..."  
  
"What was that?" Jodie asked as she looked up, being in deep thoughts herself.  
  
"Nothing...nothing at all." Elrod responded, waving with his paw. "Just thinking outloud, thats  
all." He sighed as he got up then looked on his watch.  
  
"I better get to the lab....thanks for the coffee." The golden-furred tomkat said. Jodie nodded.  
  
"Take care of yourself." She said gently. Elrod smiled.  
  
"I will. If anything happens, call me." Jodie nodded, and Elrod left.  
----------------------------------------  
  
CHAPTER 1: The tour  
  
Dr. Johnson and Dr. Kennys was already in full gear, working on a new science-project. Johnson  
looked up as Elrod came in.  
  
"Sorry I´m late. Stuck in midday traffic." Elrod muttered, taking his place beside Kennys.  
  
"As long as you are here, then theres no worries." Johnson replied dryly, and returned to the  
microscope. Elrod took place at his side of the table and began to take notes and analyse   
chemicals.  
  
As the hours went by, Elrod found himself, not thinking about anything but working with the   
many chemicals. Unlike before he had mutated into Dr. Viper. Back then, he had been lazy,   
snappy, and showed no respect for his headmaster. It was a different talk with Dr. Johnson.   
He was a man whowas worth to give respect to.  
  
"Purvis, could you please store these files in the archive?" Johnson asked. Elrod nodded.  
  
"Yes sir." He picked up the box with the files and left the laboratory, walking down a corridor,  
down some stairs and down into the basement. Also the place where some of the more dangerous  
chemicals where kept.  
  
The goldenfurred tomkat sighed as his gaze passed the shelfs. He recalled when he had helped   
Zyme create that cursed Vipermutagen that had changed his life. He shuddered at the thought.  
  
"Thank the Lord that I ain´t into that anymore...." he thought to himself, as he stored the box  
with files. As he walked back, he groaned, feeling a minor headache at sudden.  
  
"Uch....been working too much lately." He muttered, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"Oh well....just some paperwork, some analyzis and I´m off...."  
---------------------  
  
"Now children, stay close together and do not walk far away from eachother. Biff, stay in the   
line!" Ms. Mason snapped at Biff Cartle, who scowled, but went back into line. David sighed and  
shook his head. Biff was always such a moron.  
  
David patiently followed the long line of all the other kittens and the teacher, while Biff kept  
on walking around here and there. As they walked, the teacher told about how the MegaKat Bio-  
chemical laboartory worked.  
  
"Here in the laboratory, they examine important and dangerous chemicals, used for experiments,  
medicin and much more, which it would take ages to tell about...now, can anyone tell me..."  
  
"Theres my dad! HI! DAD!!" David shouted as he waved. Elrod blinked and looked up, and then   
grinned as he saw his son in the group of kittens. He nodded a polite hello to the teacher of   
the group.  
  
"Ms. Mason I presume. I am Dr. Elrod Purvis. I was informed about your visit today. I am here  
to escort you through the laboratories." Ms. Mason nodded and shook hands with Elrod.  
  
"Its a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Purvis. Both the children and I have been looking forward to  
come here...Biff! I told you to stay!! Excuse me a moment doctor...."  
  
While ms. Mason chased Biff who had gotten an idea about sneaking into one of the labs, Elrod   
looked over the group.  
  
"As you already know, I am Dr. Elrod Purvis...and as you have been informed, also the father of  
David." He sent a smile to David who just beamed. Then he looked back at the group of kittens.  
  
"Now, before we start the tour around in the lab, I must inform you about certain things. And   
please, listen carefully: You must not go into the laboratories if the lamp above the door isn´t  
flashing green. If its red, then it means there is a important experiment going on, and even a  
small un-important thing as a yell from a kitten can be quite disturbing. Along with that, stay  
with everyone here in this group. You must never wander off alone, because the whole lab itself   
is a true maze for someone who hasn´t been here before, and I am quite positive that none of you  
have...."  
  
As Elrod kept telling the rules of the tour, the kittens listened intensely. David knew the many  
rules though...he had visited the lab before and he knew his way around, from his dads office to  
the main hall. Ms. Mason returned with Biff and Elrod repeated the rules in a very stern tone to  
Biff who pouted. Then Biff smirked.  
  
"Hey doctor! Weren´t you the psyco Dr. Viper!!??" Elrod stiffened. Ms. Mason looked shocked.  
  
"Biff, thats not a question you just as-.." She was surprised when Elrod cut her off with a nod  
and a expression saying "I´ll be fine". Then he kneeled down and looked straigtly into Biff's  
eyes.  
  
"Just how do you know, who I have been?" He asked calmly in a low voice. Biff crossed his arms.  
  
"My daddy is a Enforcer! He knows alot about ya!" Elrod nodded calmly.  
  
"I see....well, has your daddy informed you how I have done what I do best, which is working   
here, and taking care of my family?"?  
  
Biff blinked. "...no...." he murmured, uncomfortable because of Elrods calm gaze.  
  
"Then now you know....so just before you claim someone to be a insane psycopathic mutant....  
make sure you haven´t read too many comics or asked your daddy stupid questions. Have I made  
myself clear?"  
  
"Yes sir...." Biff muttered, looking down on his feet. Elrod nodded.  
  
"Very well...Alright children lets go. And remember the rules!" He then called, and they walked  
off.  
-----------------------------  
  
David looked around amused as the group walked, barely listening to what his dad was telling   
about the laboratory. Then when looking in through a giant window, where he could see 2 kats in  
protection suits examine some extra dangerous chemicals, he noted something in the reflection...  
it was Biff sneaking off, towards the basement....  
  
"Hmmm.....I´d better see what he´s up to...." David thought and sneaked away from the group.  
  
Biff walked down the stairs and into the basement where he looked around on the many shelfs. He  
grinned as he noted all the different labels...Toxic...flameable...poisonous...acidly....  
  
He picked one speciel one down...One with some sorta greenish-yellow liquid....  
  
"Put that back!!" A voice sounded behind him. Biff turned around and growled as he spotted his  
"archenemy" David Purvis.  
  
"Ohhh look who we have here! Daddy's boy!!" he growled, dashing with his tail. David narrowed   
his eyes.  
  
"I said put that bottle back!!" David repeated, his own tail twitching, more of anger than of  
of being anxious...he was not afraid of Biff, even though the other kitten was big for his age,  
and twice as heavy. Biff grinned.  
  
"You want it this bad!? CATCH!!" He threw the bottle. David gasped and seeked to catch it, but  
with no success, since Biff took the chance to sprint forward and punch the kitten hard in his  
stomach, sending him hard into a wall. David gasped for breath, just as the bottle crashed right  
above his head....  
  
David coughed and gagged as the liquid poured down, soaking his fur and running into his mouth.  
He coughed as he swallowed the nasty stuff and shakingly got up. Biff had run off...David looked   
at the mess and whimpered...his dad was not gonna be happy if he saw this mess....  
  
The kitten quickly picked up the glass-pieces and threw them in a container nearby that was for  
leftover chemicals, then washed his fur as much as he could with some water and dried himself in  
some spare labcoats, then quickly went upstairs to rejoin the group.  
  
But had he looked closer, he would have noted the label on the floor that read:  
  
Viper Mutagen #368 


	2. Chapter 2: The pain

CHAPTER 2: The pain  
  
"David, supper is ready!" Elrod called up the stairs.  
  
"IÂ´m comming daddy!" David called back and Elrod chuckled as he heard his sons excited footsteps  
  
bounce down the stairs.  
  
After the tour at the laboratory, David had seemed much more bouncy and energetic, for some odd  
  
reason that Elrod couldnÂ´t point out.  
  
The kitten bounced down the stairs and beamed at his dad, and Elrod smiled back. Together, they  
  
walked into the kitchen where Kathy had put supper on the table, and settled down.  
  
David looked around on the food that his mom had cooked, as his father blessed the meal...then  
  
he cringed slightly as he felt a pain in his stomach....not the normal kinda tommy-ache you get  
  
when your hungry....it was more...as if there was a nest of snakes down in his stomach, the sna-  
  
kes biting and hissing.  
  
"...Amen..." His dad finished quietly. David bit his lower lip, then hesitantly took a piece of  
  
bread, and bit into it..it felt like ages before he swallowed the bread, and the pain felt worse.  
  
The kitten let out a small whimper, putting the bread down on his plate and hugging himself.  
  
Elrod noted this and frowned. "David, is something wrong?" He asked concerned. David quivered all  
  
over his little body, whimpering.  
  
"D..daddy..m..my tummy h...hurts..." He sniffled, choking in sobs. Elrod got up from his chair  
  
and then kneeled down, carefully feeling on the kittens stomach. David cringed from his dads touch,  
  
which suddenly seemed so...different..so savage....  
  
His mom watched in concern, then she too kneeled down and gently hugged her little son.  
  
"Did you eat something bad?" Elrod asked with a frown. David shook his head mutely. He didnÂ´t  
  
know what was wrong...  
  
"I..it hurts daddy...make it stop..." The kitten began to cry. Elrod carefully hugged him close  
  
as he lifted him up.  
  
"I think you are alittle tired...lets get you up to bed....if you feel better later, we'll warm  
  
you some soup...OK champ?" He whispered softly as he went up the stairs and down the corridor  
  
which lead to Davids room. The kitten sobbed and nodded, clinging to his dads t-shirt. Elrod carried David  
  
into his room and tugged him carefully, giving him alittle water to drink.  
  
"Would you like me to stay?" He asked softly. David whimpered and nodded...  
  
"I...it hurts daddy!" He sobbed. Elrod gently carressed the kittens face with one paw.  
  
"I know it hurts...everything will be OK champ...I promise..."  
  
David sobbed and soon fell asleep. When Elrod had made sure the kitten was fully asleep, he got  
  
up from his chair and closed the door behind him. Kathy looked at him concerned.  
  
"Can you figure what it is thats wrong?" She asked. Elrod shook his head.  
  
"I donÂ´t know what it is, Kath....one part of me says he's overtired, another says he's getting  
  
the flu...IÂ´m tempted to believe that last one most..." Kathy frowned, as she could see he had  
  
more to say.  
  
"Theres more, right?" She said quietly. He looked at her alittle confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"DonÂ´t pull that on me Elrod Purvis! You know exactly what I mean!!" She responded snappy, her  
  
green eyes sparkling angrilly. Elrod looked at her a second then sighed and lowered his gaze to  
  
the floor.  
  
"Yes....theres more..." He muttered.  
  
"But its best that I donÂ´t tell it here in front of Davids door...he might hear us..." With that,  
  
the couple went downstairs to talk, unknowing about what was happening to their son that very  
  
moment..... 


	3. Chapter 3: Mutation

CHAPTER 3: MUTATION  
  
David writhered and rolled around on the bed, the pain in his stomach growing every second. He  
  
sobbed and clenched his teeth till it hurt and curled up into a tight ball.  
  
What was happening to him?  
  
He desperately wanted to call for his mom and dad, but everytime he opened his mouth, only a  
  
hiss of pain escaped through his lips. For some odd reason, he looked on his hand, his eyes  
  
widening as he saw something unbelievable....the fur on his paw and arm was vanishing and  
  
turning into green scales, the same kind of colored scales you would find on a lizard or a  
  
snake.....  
  
David wanted to scream...badly....  
  
The scales began to go further...down his arm...up to his shoulder....down his chest and stomach,  
  
the pain growing more and more powerful....He squinched his eyes shut, clenching his teeth and whimpering...  
  
He felt it like he was being ripped apart and put back together...just like with that puzzle, or piece of  
  
clay he had been playing with at grandma Josie's place....  
  
"D...Daddy..." He whispered, feeling something happen to his tail...a thing that scared him greatly...  
  
He opened his mouth...  
  
"SSSSSSSSS........."  
  
---------------------  
  
Elrod didnÂ´t know what to say....he closed his eyes to escape the gaze from his wife...the same  
  
gaze from those emerald green eyes that always seemed to dig through him whenever he had trouble  
  
talking about something....  
  
"Come on Elrod...David canÂ´t hear us now....what is it?" Kathy said softly. Elrod sighed.  
  
"I....IÂ´m afraid of what might happen to him....remember how Mike, Samanthas husband wanted to  
  
check David through, that evening when David was born?" She nodded.  
  
"Yes...you where furious about how he wanted to check our baby as if he was a science-projekt..."  
  
She muttered. Elrod nodded, his eyes still closed.  
  
"Well....what he said...made me worried...so one day, I went to where Mike works, taking David with me..."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"They took a bloodsample from David and from me and analyzed them...and..." He paused.  
  
How would she react to his answer?  
  
"Elrod..please tell me what happened..." Kathy whispered softly, laying a paw on his arm.  
  
"They...they found traces...of the Vipermutagen #368, in both Davids and my own DNA structure..."  
  
Kathy's eyes widened.  
  
"What? Elrod...why didnÂ´t you tell me...."  
  
"I didnÂ´t want to worry you!!" Elrod told her, looking at her, his eyes seeming to glow of sadness and love.  
  
"We both had a feeling something like this could happen...we both agreed not to tell David about it,  
  
until he was old enough...but sometimes....IÂ´m just so scared...." He said, his last words in a whisper  
  
as he looked down.  
  
"Scared of what?" Kathy whispered back.  
  
"Remember that time I was hunted badly by those nightmares? Sometimes....I feel like...that the Vipermutagen  
  
wonÂ´t just be MY nemesis...but also Dav-"  
  
*CRASH!!!*  
  
They both jumped up by the sound of glass crashing, looking up the stairs.  
  
"It came from Davids room!" Kathy gasped. Elrod frowned and jumped up the stairs, followed quickly  
  
by Kathy. He grabbed the doorhandle on the door into Davids room, and turned it, but it was stuck...  
  
"DAVID!! OPEN THE DOOR!!" Elrod shouted. When there was no response, Elrod took a short step back  
  
and kicked it up....  
  
What they saw, they didnÂ´t believe...they didnÂ´t WANT to believe....  
  
The window was smashed completely as if struck with great force, and on the glass-shards where some kind of  
  
liquid...Elrod examined it quickly...  
  
"Green blood....." He muttered.  
  
"ELROD!" Kathy shouted, looking out of the window. Elrod ran over to her and gasped.  
  
At a kathole down on the street was a reptilian figure...  
  
It looked up and saw Elrod and Kathy, its golden pupilless eyes shining in the dark like a pair  
  
of lanterns....  
  
Then it swiftly dived into the kathole, pulling the cover over it with a dry *clank*...  
  
"DAVID!!!!!" Elrod shouted.  
  
--------------------------  
  
A.N Mwahahaha, another cliffhanger! 


	4. Chapter 4: Running away

CHAPTER 4: RUNNING AWAY  
  
Elrod couldnÂ´t believe what he had just seen....that...thing...at the kathole..  
  
Had been David....  
  
He didnÂ´t know how long he and Kathy stood at the window, paralyzed with shock, from what they  
  
had just seen. He only knew he nearly jumped through the roof when the phone ringed.  
  
He swiftly went over, trying the best he could to keep his voice under control as he picked up  
  
the phone.  
  
"Hello?" He said, as calm as possible.  
  
"Purvis, theres something here at the lab you have got to come and see..." Dr. Johnsons voice  
  
sounded from the other end. Elrod frowned at the tone Johnson had...it sounded worried and concerned.  
  
He turned and looked on Kathy who was shivering in the cold wind from the window.  
  
"I'll be right there..." he muttered, and hung up. He then went over and hugged Kathy close.  
  
"I have to go to the labs...Johnson sounded like it was something very serious..." He sighed.  
  
"IÂ´m sorry Kath....even in this kind of situation..." He was interrupted as Kath put a finger on his  
  
lips.  
  
"Go....just...just go....IÂ´ll contact Samantha, John and Mike....its best they get to know about  
  
this..."  
  
"DonÂ´t forget..you know..." Elrod added. She nodded in response.  
  
"And I remember the signal....Even though its been some time since you taught it to me." He nodded.  
  
"Right....take care and page me if anything happens...."  
  
With that, he left, Kathy watching worried as he drove off....  
  
-------------------------  
  
In the sewers of MegaKat City, a creature roamed around...it had been doing that for the past  
  
7 years since its master had disappeared. Between its master and the creature itself, there was  
  
a speciel bond. Whenever the master called, the creature would come, and obey his every command.  
  
For 7 years, the bond had seemed to have vanished...but now it had returned.  
  
And the Fungus-plantimal would find out where its master was...  
  
-------------------------  
  
David didnÂ´t know what had happened.  
  
1 minute, he had been watching himself becomming a monster...and the next he had been running through  
  
the sewers of Megakat City. He had a bad cut on his leg, and he was tired. It didnÂ´t help either, tha  
  
his stomach was hurting badly. He sniffled as he was now sitting on the slimy rocks, looking down into  
  
the dark, dirty waters of the sewer...the water was quiet, showing reflections...his reflection....  
  
"Why...why has this happened to me?" He whispered, staring blankly at himself. He reached up, touching  
  
his now alligator-like muzzle...his fur had turned into scales with the exception of the tufts at his ears,  
  
and the ears....his squeezed his eyes shut. He didnÂ´t like his reflection...it scared him....he didnÂ´t  
  
want to look like this, or be in the sewers for that matter...He wanted to be home...home with his  
  
mommy and daddy....  
  
"MOOOMMYYYY!!! DAAADDYYY!!!" He screamed unhappily, then buried his face in his hands.  
  
The snake-kitten whimpered and sobbed, his tears flowing down his cheeks and into the dirty waters  
  
of the sewers....  
  
He was there for a long time....for how long, he didnÂ´t know. But he somehow fell asleep, curled  
  
up with his now long and elastic reptilian tail...somehow, it felt comfortable for him. Even though  
  
he missed his toy-dog Softie.  
  
He didnÂ´t know how long he slept...only that he was awaken by a strange noise. Sounding like the  
  
cross between a slurping and a splashing. He sat up and looked around, his tiny body shivering.  
  
"H...Hello?" He whispered. "A...anyone there?"  
  
No answer, but the spooky sound of whatever it was that was out there. Then he saw it...a pair of  
  
reddish eyes, and the form of twisting and writhering tentacles and a large open mouth.  
  
A growl sounded from the large beast.  
  
David screamed. 


	5. Chapter 5: unexpected

CHAPTER 5: UNEXPECTED  
  
The fungus-monster was confused. It had found its master, but for some reason, its master had screamed and ran off by the sight of it.  
  
Naturally, the enormous plantimal had followed after its master, going as fast as it could. Its enormous body locomoted after the snakekat, who ran with the speed of lightning for then to vanish into a pipe. When the fungus- monster had tried to follow, it had hopelessly gotten stuck and wailed as it had seen its master vanish in the dark.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
David didnÂ´t know how long he had been there....he only knew he had been running from that...that....whatever it was, for what seemed eternity. Even though it was big, it was fast, but not too smart. He had escaped from it when he had crawled through a small pipe, just big enough for him to get through. He had covered in a corner to catch his breath and rest. It felt as if his lungs where burning.  
  
Tiredly, he had curled up and had fallen asleep. For how long, he didnÂ´t know, but daylight was showing through the small squares in a Kathole- cover, telling him it was morning. He carefully peeked out and saw he was near a large building, recognising it as the Mayors Office. His dad had told him how the mayor went there every day to take decisions that would be good for the future for every kat in MegaKat City.  
  
A growl from his stomach sounded. He realised he hadnÂ´t had anything to eat since yesterday and looked around to make sure no one would see him. He didnÂ´t want anyone to begin to chase him or worse. He crawled up from the sewers and found a open window that lead into the basement of the Mayors Office. He looked around, and then crawled down there.  
  
It was dark and warm in the basement. David looked around, his golden pupilless eyes shining in the dark, though he didnÂ´t really note on it. He saw some stairs and figured that maybe he could find something to eat if he went that way, so he carefully crawled up the stairs.  
  
Anxiously, he opened the door and looked around in the large hall. Luckily, it was lunchtime, and there was no one. A guard had gone off to get some coffee, and at his chair was a box of donuts. David licked his lips, but quickly stopped, since he hadnÂ´t gotten used to how his tongue now had gone forked. Looking around, he quickly skitted across the floor and over to the desk, and picked up the box with donuts. He quickly hided as he heard a slight "ding" comming from the elevators, and one of the elevators opened.  
  
Afraid, yet curious, David sneaked a peek of who it was. And he was surprised to see, that it was none other than Mayor Callie Briggs Clawson!  
  
He remembered how he had seen her on TV once, having a speech after she had been elected as Mayor, since the old Mayor, George Manx had retired due to old age. David crept into hiding but hadnÂ´t noted how he hadnÂ´t gotten the tip of his tail pulled to him.  
  
Callie had absently looked around in the hall, due to old habit and saw the green tip of a familiar tail. She blinked.  
  
No...It canÂ´t be! She thought, and decided to pretend that she left. She walked in through a door, but kept it open, to see what would happen.  
  
Her eyes widened as she saw Dr. Viper creep out of hiding, with a box of donuts under his arm. He looked around and then quickly ran over to a door that she knew lead to the basement of the mayors office.  
  
"IÂ´d better call the SWATKATS...." She muttered and pulled out her com- link.  
  
-----------------------------------------------  
  
The Pastmasters lonely eye skimmed absently across the page in the ancient spell-book, his skeleton-like finger following the lines in the book.  
  
He sighed frustrated as he couldnÂ´t concentrate on reading, espeacially after what had happened yesterday.  
  
He had been relaxing for the first time in many years, thinking of how he had been trying to make Queen Callista his bride, only now, he had realised it was no use...he could love her or her descendants, but they could never love him....He had learned that 8 years ago, when he had helped Dr. Viper defeating a Marekat. He recalled the conversation Viper had had with his sister Samantha, about their father*(1) who had committed suicide when Viper was no more than 18.  
  
Surprisingly, Viper had somehow gotten re-mutated back into Elrod Purvis 1 1/2 year later and had gotten married to the love of his life, Kathy Peterson. They had both had a wonderful son named David, who the Pastmaster had found like-able from the moment he first saw Elrods son as a baby.  
  
Then it had happened...The ancient sorceror had told Elrod and his wife about a speciel signal which would alert the Pastmaster if anything un- natural should happen, and they would need his help. The signal hadnÂ´t been needed until just last night...  
  
The night where David had somehow mutated.  
  
--------------------------------------------------  
  
Felina F. Furlong yawned as she woke up. She stretched and got out of bed, smiling down at her baby daughter, Alicia who was snoozing peacefully.  
  
"Mommy, are you awake yet?" A small voice called. Felina looked up and smiled as she saw a small face, looking like a true copy of her husband, Chance Furlong, except for the raven-black hair and slightly tanned fur. Jason Furlong bounced in through the door and hugged his mom, beaming.  
  
"Am I going with you today mommy?" He asked, dashing with his tail. Felina chuckled and picked up her son.  
  
"Yes Jason, your comming with me today."  
  
"YAY!!" Jason cheered and hugged his mom around her neck. He had been pleading for weeks to come along with her to Enforcer Headquarters.  
  
"But you know the rules. If theres a alert, then you are staying back!!" She warned. Jason nodded eagerly, and bounced around his mom as she put him down, getting suited up.  
  
"What about daddy? What will he do?" Jason then asked. Felina looked thoughtful a second.  
  
"He will stay here at home, helping your uncle Jake with all the cars." She then said with a smile. Jason beamed and bounced off the bed. He had been looking forward to this for a long time now, and the excitement went through his whole body. He could barely eat any breakfeast of excitement, but in the end, Felina made him eat some toast and drink some milk, while she had cereal herself.  
  
"IÂ´m leaving now, Chance!" She called out in the garage. Jasons dad, Chance Furlong came in, rubbing his paws in a piece of cloth.  
  
"Alright then. Tiger, you be good to your mom and donÂ´t go drive anyone but Lt. Steele insane!" He said and sent his son a tooty grin. Jason giggled and waved goodbye to his dad, as he and his mom went out in the car and drove off. Jake rolled out from under a car and got up beside Chance who was looking after the vanishing car.  
  
"Is it me or are things going fast?" He said. "It seems only yesterday that we where kicked out of the enforcers. And look at us now! We're the SWATKATS, Felina is your wife and you have 2 wonderful kittens...."  
  
"Callie and you are married and Callie is the mayor, and you got yourself a wonderful kitten yaself..." Chance joined in.  
  
"I agree with ya Jake. Things have gone pretty fast....and all the crimes seems to have lowered. No one has seen Viper for 7 years, Dark Kat and his daughter Nightlady havenÂ´t been trying to nuke the city for 7 months, and everything else is just pretty easy to handle...." Jake nodded.  
  
"Yeah...heh, to be frank, I kinda miss fighting Vipers creatures! Remember how he took over MegaKat Tower that one time?" Chance laughed.  
  
"Ooh do I remember! We kicked Viper and his ugly pod right off the tower!!" The 2 mechanics laughed and high foured, and began extending memories of former battles, while they worked on the car, when the alarm suddenly went off. Chance jumped over and grabbed the klaxon.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"T-bone, I think its best you or Razor get down here at the mayors office right away!" Callies voice said, sounding worried.  
  
"Whats wrong?" Jake asked, frowning.  
  
"You guys may not believe me, but I just saw none other than Dr. Viper running down into the basement of the mayors office!!"  
  
----------------------------------  
  
David had eaten hungrilly of the donuts, getting his hunger satisfied. It was then he heard the sirens from Enforcer-patrol-cars. He blinked and peeked out from his hidingplace in a closet in the basement. He could hear how orders where given out, and it felt as if ice was creeping down his spine when he heard the voice belonging to Commander Feral bellow:  
  
"SURROUND THE BUILDING! BLOCK ALL EXITS SO THAT REPTILE CAN'T ESCAPE!!"  
  
He knew exactly who the reptile was.  
  
That reptile was him.  
  
He gasped as he heard the sound of a motorcycle right outside of the basement window and quickly hid inside the closet once more.  
  
He hugged his tail close to his chest and let out choked sobs, tears of fear running down his cheeks as he heard boot-clad feet come running down the stairs.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Felina lead the small squad down into the basement and let out a soft sigh as she saw T-bone stand there. He was staring intensely at a small door, and lifting a paw, he told them to be quiet. Felina motioned to her men to be silent and sneaked forward.  
  
"What is it?" She whispered.  
  
"Listen." Was T-bones response. "Can you hear it?" Felina listened and nodded.  
  
"Yeah...is that Viper?" T-bone responded with a nod.  
  
"Odd....sounds more like a kitten to me...." Felina whispered. T-bone nodded again.  
  
"Something is wrong here...." Felina then whispered. "IÂ´ll go check it out..." She felt his paw on her shoulder.  
  
"Be careful."  
  
"I will Tiger...."  
  
Felina crept forward towards the small door, motioning to her men to have their guns ready if necessary. She reached out and snapped the door open, aiming her blaster.  
  
"FREEZE!!...huh!?" She stiffened at the sight she saw.  
  
In front of her was a small kitten-snakekat, curled up and sobbing. He looked up on her, with fear in his golden pupilless eyes.  
  
"P..pleasssse..." He whimpered.  
  
"DonÂ´t hurt me."  
  
One thing was certain. This was not Viper!  
  
-----------------------  
  
AN Yet another cliffhanger!  
  
*(1) see Claws of the Marekat , chapter 5: Painful memories and powerful spells. 


	6. Chapter 6: Safe embrace

CHAPTER 6: SAFE EMBRACE  
  
T-bone stood stiff as he saw the small snake-kat. Like Felina, he was just as surprised. This couldnÂ´t be Viper! Could it?  
  
"P..pleasssse....d...donÂ´t hurt me..." The tiny creature sobbed and hid his face, quivering and sobbing. T-bone frowned.  
  
"HeÂ´s....heÂ´s just a kitten...." He whispered, realisation striking him like a bolt of lightning. He carefully stepped forward  
  
and shot a glance at Felina who nodded and backed away. T-bone crouched down and looked at the kitten.  
  
"Hey there..." he said softly. The kitten looked up at him, quivering and sobbing, tears running down his cheeks.  
  
"H...hello..." He squeaked weakly.  
  
"Whats your name?" T-bone asked gently.  
  
"D..D..David..."  
  
"Hello David...my name is T-bone...do you know what I am?" The kitten nodded.  
  
"U...uhu....y..your a Sss...SSSWATKAT..."  
  
"Do you know who the others are?" another nod.  
  
"E..Enforcerssss....." T-bone nodded.  
  
"W...will they hurt me?" The kitten whispered. T-bone frowned alittle at that. The kitten was quite obviously scared.  
  
"No...they wonÂ´t hurt you." Felina said, crawling forward. David looked at her, now more quivering from the cold in the  
  
basement than of fear.  
  
"My name is Felina Feral Furlong, and yes I know my name sounds silly..." Felina said and rolled her eyes alittle. A slight  
  
giggle from the kitten was heard. T-bone smiled gently and carefully reached his large gloved paw out.  
  
"Want to come out? I wonÂ´t hurt you...no one will hurt you." David looked around un-sure.  
  
"T...then why are they ssstanding with all thosssse gunssss and riflessss?" Felina quickly explained.  
  
"They thought it was something very bad...like Dark Kat, the Metallikats, or...."  
  
"The Boogieman!" T-bone interrupted. "HeÂ´s one of the most wanted criminals in the city!" David blinked and looked with huge  
  
curious eyes on T-bone.  
  
"He...he issss?" T-bone nodded.  
  
"Ooooh yeah. Wanted for scaring the life out of kittens and making them wet their bed! Now THAT is just rude!!" The disgusted  
  
expression T-bone had made the kitten giggle even more. Quite obviously, he was a young admirer of the 2 vigilantes. Who wasnÂ´t?  
  
Felina smiled at the sight as T-bone fired off more funny comments about "the boogieman", making the kitten trust him even more.  
  
Waving a paw, she made her troops leave the basement and eventually left shortly after herself.  
  
"I leave it to you here Tiger." She thought, looking down the stairs at T- bone who was now talking with the kitten about what  
  
the kitten liked in general like comics and toys....  
  
She smiled and then went up and out of the door.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
"So David....if you donÂ´t mind me asking....how did this happen to you?" T- bone asked. David stiffened. He looked quite uncomfortable  
  
with the question, and the large SWATKAT wondered if he had asked a wrong question.  
  
"I...it's all Biffsss fault..." The kitten whimpered, looking down on the floor. T-bone blinked.  
  
"Biff? Biff who?" He asked.  
  
"Biff Cartle...a kid from my classsss.....we where on a tour to the Biolabsssss and I ssssaw him sssneak off...I followed him,  
  
and he was about to ssssmash sssome bottles with some green stuff....I told him to put him back and he punched me...right here..."  
  
David pointed on his stomach, then rubbed it with a small whimper.  
  
"T...then it began to hurt...and...and...and..." His breathing turned into slight hiccups which was shortly turned into large  
  
heartbreaking sobs. T-bone didnÂ´t hesitate, but reached out and hugged the kitten, gently stroking his neck and back, as the  
  
kitten cried into his chest, wetting his suit and the fur beneath it.  
  
"Shhh...shhh...there there kiddo....Its gonna be OK...." He murmured. The kitten sobbed unhappily, quivering all over.  
  
"I..I want my daddy..." He whimpered, huggling close to the SWATKAT.  
  
"Shhh donÂ´t worry....I promise you, IÂ´ll get you home to your daddy..." T- bone said softly, picking the kitten up in his strong arms.  
  
David snuggled close to T-bones chest. He was so warm and comfortable to be with, that it made the snake-kitten sleepy...  
  
T-bone stroked the kittens back gently, then felt the kitten go limp in his arms. He smiled as he saw the kitten had fallen asleep.  
  
"Poor little guy...he must have been out for alot!" With that, he went up the stairs and out in the light. The kitten stayed  
  
asleep in his embrace, as he followed with Commander Feral and Felina out in a Enforcer-cruiser, where they drove off towards  
  
the salvage-yard.  
  
"That meatloaf who calls himself your husband is good with kittens, right?" Feral scowled, keeping his eyes on the road. Felina  
  
huffed a sigh and nodded.  
  
"Yes uncle, he is. And he is *not* a meatloaf!"  
  
"SheÂ´s right about that!" T-bone added, then grinned.  
  
"Whats the matter Feral? They where outta donuts in the store?" Feral scowled and took a sharp turn at the salvage-yard, causing  
  
T-bone to bump into the cardoor.  
  
"DonÂ´t get snappy with me SWATKAT!" Feral growled, as T-bone and Felina got out of the car.  
  
"IÂ´m keeping an eye on you *and* your partner!!" With that, he drove off.  
  
"Finally, heÂ´s gone!!" Felina sighed, and looked on the kitten that snoozed softly in T-bones arms.  
  
"Will he be OK here?" She then asked. T-bone nodded.  
  
"IÂ´m quite sure about that, 'lina...he may be small and scared right now, but I can tell that right under that surface, heÂ´s  
  
a strong little champ. One a father can be really proud of." Felina nodded.  
  
"IÂ´ll check out the files at Enforcer HQ to see if anyone is missing a kitten...one may never know...Viper may be out with his  
  
games again..."  
  
"Even though we havenÂ´t heard from him the past 7 years, I know." T-bone said, and huffed a sigh.  
  
"Crud I hate when stuff like this happens." Felina chuckled and kissed him gently.  
  
"DonÂ´t we all?" 


	7. Chapter 7: A slumbering dragon has awoke...

CHAPTER 7: A SLUMBERING DRAGON HAS AWOKEN  
  
A/N: Dun dun dun duuuunnnnnn!!! A old enemy arrives!!!  
  
-------------------  
  
There where flashes of different things.  
  
Shekats he had mated with...shekats he had killed....sons and daughters he had spawned and raised....  
  
And trained them into Marekats.  
  
Syphon the MareKat was in a deep sleep. He was naked, and curled up into a ball, floating in a bubble-prison of crystal.  
  
Dreaming.  
  
He was with his loved one, Milai once again. His true mate. The Gods had created them in a way so female Marekats couldnÂ´t get children. So Syphon had to do it in other ways.  
  
He would trick a she-kat into mating with him, and keep her captured for the 9 months a pregnancy takes. Then kill her the second the shekat was born.  
  
In the dark ages, it had been easy to tell that the "poor darling" had died from the birth. But as time went by, things got tougher. The mortals invented new machines. And most of them could help tell the reason for the death of a person, so Syphon had to work in secret.  
  
Then he had met her, Samantha. It had been easy to trick her. Later they had "married" as the mortals called it. And everything seemed to go perfect as the foolish shekat had gotten pregnant. But he had underestimated her. She had grown up, knowing about fantasy-creatures as Syphons kind was called. She had fled along with her brother, to seek help from....  
  
Viper  
  
The name itself made Syphon turn in his sleep. The reptilian kat had at first not been anything serious to worry about. That was.....until Viper contacted the Pastmaster, a old enemy of The Master of Past and Present.  
  
The 800 year old sorceror had helped Viper protect the she-kat, and it hadnÂ´t gone better when he told the mortals how to protect themselfs. Milai had gone to stop them from getting the Colbratech sword...  
  
And it had been fatal for her.  
  
When she had been away too long, Syphon had gone to seek after her, and had found that Viper had killed her with the sword. Burning of anger and revenge, he had gotten another chance from his old master to get the child Samantha Purvis had given birth to. Viper had been taking care of it, and since he was an enemy of the socalled SWATKATS, it had been easy to fool the 2 into getting the child from Viper. Espeacially since the larger one, T-bone seemed to have a score to settle with Viper.  
  
Everything had went fine with the ceremony until Viper had showed up. The snakekat had gotten the child away from Syphon and managed to escape with the help from the ghosts of departed family members. When the clock struck midnight, it was too late to get the child, and Syphon had to return to his own realm.  
  
Destiny took care of some things through years which where seconds for a creature of Syphons kind. 3 years, and Samantha Purvis, her husbond and her brother (sadly not Viper) crashed in what among the mortals where known as the Bermuda Triangle, leaving Viper to take care of child....for 6 years, Syphon watched the child grow, and he too grew more and more frustrated....that was, until he met Shadow-whip. The form-changer was a servant for Aquilla, the ancient god of chaos and destruction, who was in need of an Avatar, a shelter for him to stay in when he entered the mortal realm. And since Syphon wanted revenge, and Aquilla a body, Shadow-whip gave Syphon the offer of being able to handle both.  
  
It had been a piece of cake. The ceremony that would connect Viper and Aquilla went successfully until Syphons old master, the Master of Past and Present broke in and smashed Aquillas old home, a orb, seeming to have ended the ceremony...though the mage was wrong. The ceremony had went perfectly, and Aquilla had come to the mortal world.  
  
After the child, that called itself Vipers nephew had killed Aquilla, Viper had come to the realm of Nightmares...Syphons realm...Syphons domain.  
  
The Marekat had attacked, but hadnÂ´t counted on Viper to have that cursed Colbratech Sword on him, but thanks to his agility and speed, Syphon had dodged the sword everytime the pathetic mortal had tried to attack.  
  
Then the shantu had come. The panther-creature was sent by the Master of Past and Present, to kill Syphon. And it had almost seemed like it....but another god had come as Syphon had been dying.  
  
The gods name was Hei Ying*...and she was of the ancient ones. One of the true gods. Not some mortal that years ago had done a spell so powerful that, that he or she had gotten their powers raised to a god-like status.....  
  
Hei Ying had followed Syphons moves for a long time, and she had found him a worthy servant. She promised him the necessary healing, and the true gift of revenge if he would become her servant.  
  
He had striked at once.  
  
And now, here he was, asleep and on his health being fully restored. Hei Ying had even given him back his missing eye, that he had lost many years ago, when he had been young and naive in the eyes of a God, and ancient and dangerous in the eyes of a mortal.  
  
The memories flashed past him in his mind, over and over and over again.....  
  
Then he heard her voice.  
  
"My servant...the time has come." The silky and gentle voice with a sharp poisonous undertone awaked Syphon. He opened his eyes slightly and stretched out in the crystalbubble he was in. Hei Yings voice sounded once more.  
  
"Break out of your prison...become free.....and seek your revenge."  
  
The blood-red colored nightmare-creature flexed his muscles, stretched, and the bubble broke with a crash that ecchoed around in the empty darkness that surrounded him.  
  
He roared in bloodthirst and triumph. Bloodthirst after Vipers blood...triumph over that he had beaten death once more. He grinned and looked on his extended claws.  
  
"You will see Viper!! It takes more than a Shantu to beat me! I am comming to get you! And revenge will be sweet as ambrosia!!" He reared back his head and laughed.  
  
Syphon the Marekat was back in action!!  
  
-------------------  
  
In the mortal world, 4 kats where being tormented in their sleep.  
  
Elrod writhered as he in dreams was Viper once again, caught in chains as a dark form was laughing and taunting him, scratching and scarring his body with razor-sharp claws, his green blood trickling down from his wounds and to the floor beneath him, and slowly creeping over the edge of the platform he was chained to. He tried to scream, but the darkness around him only caught the sound and send it back in his face, as if mocking him in his agony.  
  
***************************************  
  
Samantha, Elrods sister was whimpering in her sleep, running through some dark corridors with a bundle clutched to her chest. A distant whimpering from the clothe told her it was a baby that was frightened. Whatever it was that was following her, it was slowing down, and she kept running. Running in order to get her baby to safety.  
  
When reaching around a corner she stopped, gasping for breath. The gasping turned into a horrified scream as she saw the face of Syphon instead of a baby's grinning at her.  
  
"Why so afraid, Samantha? Its only your sons father!" And Syphon pounced.  
  
***************************************  
  
Nicky, Samanthas 6 year old son was afraid. He was trying to run away from a grey mass of clouds which seemed to chase him. Black-colored tentacles reached out to get him, but he managed to dodge them. He screeched as he saw his uncle Elrod being tormented by some red-furred kat which he somehow knew was his real father, who laughed as he turned and looked on Nicky.  
  
"Greetings my son! Why donÂ´t you join the fun?" Instead of doing what the kat said, Nicky ran once more, falling over the edge of a cliff in the process, screaming all the way.  
  
***************************************  
  
David couldnÂ´t move. He was trapped in some tar-like substance and it kept pulling him down and down and down...he screamed and cried for help, tears blinding his eyes, but no matter what, he couldnÂ´t get free....a cruel laughter rang in his ears, and looking up, he saw a red-furred kat stand with his dad in one outstretched hand. The red kat laughed evilly, as Davids father didnÂ´t move. The kat snarled with laughter as Davids father turned into the same kind of creature David had been transformed into because of the stuff in that bottle....Elrod lifted his gaze a second and looked on David with a mournful expression, then went limp once again in the red kats grip. The kat laughed evilly, the sound seeming to scratch in Davids ears.  
  
"Pathetic piece of mortal dirt! At last my revenge will be fulfilled!!" With that, he let go of the limp form of Elrod Purvis, who tumbled downwards into a dark vortex far below.  
  
"DADDYYYYYYYY!!!!" David shrieked.  
  
-------------------  
  
Callie came running into the room where David was asleep, the kitten screaming in his sleep, tears wetting his face. She shook in him to wake him up, but he kept screaming and screaming until he sat straight up, eyes wide and glowing in the dark. He looked around wildly, then began to cry. Callie hugged him gently, soothing him the same way she did when her own kitten had a bad dream.  
  
"Sshhh...shhh...its alright...everything will be fine..." She whispered gently to him. She looked up, hearing running steps, and saw Felina and Chance.  
  
"What happened? We heard screaming." Felina said, her face a mask of worry and confusion. Callie shook her head and looked on the sobbing kitten.  
  
"David was screaming...apparently from a nightmare...you go back to sleep, IÂ´ll be there when heÂ´s calm, OK?" The 2 nodded. Callie sighed. If only Jake had been along with her, but he was out on patrol on his Cyclotron in the city. He wouldnÂ´t return until dawn. She soothed the kitten softly, gently humming to him.  
  
"Its going to be alright David...everything will be fine..."  
  
"D...daddy...I want m...m...my daddy...." David whimpered, soaking Callies nightgown with his tears. She stroked his neck and soothed him softly, slowly making him calm down enough so that he didnÂ´t cry anymore.  
  
"Want me to stay with you?" She asked gently as she tugged David. The snake- kitten nodded mutely, and snuggled close to her as she crawled under the blanket. He hadnÂ´t known her for long, only a few hours, but she was still as caring and like another mother to him.  
  
"I miss my mommy and daddy...." He murmured sleepily as Callie stroked his cheek. She smiled gently at him.  
  
"I know you do....we'll find a cure for you, and then we'll find your mommy and daddy."  
  
David smiled weakly at her in gratitude, then fell asleep. 


	8. Chapter 8: Reach a finger to a demon...

CHAPTER 8: REACH A FINGER TO A DEMON.....  
  
David couldnÂ´t sleep. He had awoken a few minutes after Callie had dozed off, and now he just couldnÂ´t get to sleep again! He knew something bad would happen to his dad, but not what!  
  
And it scared him. It was not because he didnÂ´t LIKE being here with mr. Furlong and his wife, and their kid Jason had turned out to be a good playmate. Where David lived, there wasnÂ´t many kids on his age, and the few friends he had at school lived too far away for him to go to their places. The snakekitten sighed as he laid, snuggled up into a ball. He hated this...why did this have to happen to him? Just a few days ago, he had been a happy normal kid, going to school like everyone else, playing with other kids like a normal kid, making homework, getting a bedtime story read....getting tugged to bed by his dad like a normal kid.....  
  
Tears welled up in the kittens eyes as he mentally saw a picture of his dads face. Would he ever see him again? Would he ever be able to get a hug from him, a bedtime story read, or just even watch TV with him? And who would help his daddy with his nightmares? Why did this have to happen to him? Why!? Why?? WHY!!!  
  
"Your father has been lying to you child...." A voice sounded in the room.  
  
David bolted up, eyes wide, and looking around. Where had THAT come from?! He looked around in slight fear. The voice he had heard, had that kind of tone that would make your skin crawl, and pieces of ice form in your stomach.  
  
"M...Mrs. Clawson-Briggs! Mrs. Clawson-Briggs! The...theres someone here..." The kitten whispered, as he shook the grown shekat by his side. She didnÂ´t respond to his shaking, and kept on sleeping peacefully, not as much as twitching as the kitten began to shake more and more wildly in slight panic.  
  
"Mrs. Briggs! Please wake up! Please!!" David whimpered.  
  
"Calm down child. She is only under a sleep-spell. She is not harmed....the same goes for everyone else in this house...they are all asleep....canÂ´t have someone busting in while IÂ´m trying to tell you the truth....."  
  
"T...the truth? Wh...who are you? Where are you? I canÂ´t see you...." David whispered, looking around in the dark room. Then he blinked as a slight white-blue light appeared, litting up the room and encircled the person who was standing in the middle of the room, next to the bed.  
  
Judging from the forms that the light showed, and the voice that had sounded before, it was a female. Her whole body was black except for the skin between the bones in her outstretced wings, that seemed to fill out the entire room. The color was midnight black and with odd sparkles which seemed to have a hypnotising effect on David. All he could do was stare at the creature in front of him, her golden eyes with a black slit for a pupil holding his own locked. Though only her eyes seemed visible in her black face, and the rest could be more called a smooth obsidian surface, he had the feeling that she was smiling...not in a cruel way but gently...like a mother at a kitten who had awaken from a horrible nightmare. A black smooth paw reached out and gently cupped the kittens chin as the wings where folded in a way so they worked as a cape for the dark creature in front of David. The womans eyes had a gentle glow as she sat down on the bed next to the kitten.  
  
"Poor child....so frustrated and alone....being lied to, by everyone...." Her voice was quiet and soft as velvet as she watched the kittens eyes glow slightly in the darkness of the room, as she had lowered the glow from her wings when she folded them.  
  
"L...lied to?" David whispered as he hugged his tail, staring with frigtened eyes at the owner of the hand which was cupping his chin ever so gently. The black lady nodded.  
  
"Yes...lied to...I am Hei Ying, goddess of the night. I have kept an eye on you for quite some time, young David Purvis." She whispered to him, eyes glowing like his own in the darkness of the room.  
  
"H..how do you know m..my name?" David whispered. Hei Yings eyes glistened as if amused by the question.  
  
"I am a goddess, child. I know every name of each and every creature that walks, flies, swims, breathes through lungs or gells. As simple as that." The kitten nodded, obviously fascinated by what the black kat in front of him was talking about.  
  
"But enough about that.....you really like your father, child?" Hei Ying asked, pity and a scent of curiosity in her voice. David blinked and nodded.  
  
"Y...Yes ma'am....b...bu..."  
  
"But you are afraid he will despise you as the monster you have become?" Hei Ying asked. David bit his lower lip, and nodded mutely, feeling tears sting in his eyes. The hand which had been cupping his chin slowly went and now cupped his cheek, making him look up on Hei Ying.  
  
"You are certainly no monster...unlike your father." Hei Ying said. Davids eyes widened at the thought of his father being a monster, and the mere thought of this kind of accusion made his blood boil.  
  
"My daddy ainÂ´t no monster!" He squeked furiously, and without any other thought, he slammed his tail towards the black kats chest. She swiftly grabbed it and squeezed it in a painful way, making David yelp of pain. Hei Ying waited until David had calmed from his small fit of anger-burst and then let go of his tail. The kitten curled up with a small whimper, quivering.  
  
"I am not angry if that is what you think child." Hei Ying said calmly. "But I DO want you to see the truth about your father....will you listen and not try to attack me?" David nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Y..yes ma'am...." Hei Ying smiled and with a flick of her wrist, a glowing, black orb appeared, images zipping back and forth like flies in a bottle. David blinked as he saw the images, but soon had to look away, due to that the constant movement in the orb made his eyes hurt.  
  
"Place your hands on the orb child...donÂ´t worry, it will not hurt you." Hei Ying purred. David lifted his hands...and slowly placed them on the orb. The pain sizzled through him like a bolt of lightning, but it was not really the pain that caused him to scream. It was the images from the orb....  
  
And Hei Ying began to speak.....David listened....  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
The stars and the moon shined and glimmered in the sky. Around in the city, people where peacefully asleep, children dreaming of the adventures of the new day to come, older people dreamed about old memories and the adventures they had been through in their youth. Everyone was at peace.  
  
Everyone except Elrod Purvis.  
  
After that horrible nightmare he had, he had awoken and had called Samantha.  
  
"Sammi? Its me." He muttered tiredly. Samanthas voice didnÂ´t sound surprised.  
  
"You had a bad dream too?" Elrod sighed.  
  
"Yeah. What was your about?"  
  
"It doesnÂ´t matter...John called me before you did and asked about the nightmare...Nicky had one too."  
  
"You think they got a connection?"  
  
"I donÂ´t know little bro. I donÂ´t know. Hows David? Found him?"  
  
"No, far from it. But we're looking. *sigh* I pray to that heÂ´s alright."  
  
"IÂ´ll call if I see him, OK?"  
  
"Yeah sure thing sis."  
  
"Bye...and try to get some sleep."  
  
"Yeah you too...though IÂ´m not sure if thats possible anymore...it was so...realistic..."  
  
"Tell me about it....Hows Kathy taking this?"  
  
"I donÂ´t know, sheÂ´s not awake yet."  
  
"Well, IÂ´ll see you bro. Bye."  
  
"Yeah, bye."  
  
*click*  
  
Elrod sighed as he hung up. He tiredly leaned against the wall, looking down on his hands. The more he thought about the nightmare, the more he thought of it as some sort of sign....  
  
"But for what? That I should have told David about what I was in the beginning? Or because of me being such an idiot with waiting until he would be old enough!?" He sighed. He heard movement behind him, and felt Kathys arms hold around him from behind, her slimb body against his back and her cheek resting against his shoulder.  
  
"How long have you been awake?" She whispered.  
  
"I dunno....2-3 hours, perhaps more." he murmured and tiredly leaned back, his head resting against Kathy's shoulder.  
  
"*Sigh* Elrod, its 4 AM, and your not a nightraven. Your a normal person who needs some proper sleep." Kathy said softly, her hands brushing gently across his chest.  
  
"I couldnÂ´t sleep....it was that nightmare....it was just...too realistic..." Elrod whispered. Kathy frowned when hearing that.  
  
"What was it about? Please, honey..tell me...." She whispered. Elrod closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
"Remember what I told you....about when I was...in a ritual that would make me Avatar for a god?" Kathy nodded. "Yes, I remember that...."  
  
"Well....it felt like it was like that again...except I am being ripped apart....I donÂ´t know who it is, but someone keeps attacking me while I am chained up, unable to move at all...the more I try to get free, the more the chains tighten and the more it hurts....I can see my own blood, streaming from the wounds in my body....as I get too exausted to fight anymore, because of bloodloss, loss of energy from struggling or maybe both, my blood floats over the edge of the platform that IÂ´m chained to....and then...that..that laughter...so...so painfully real....I feel like IÂ´m getting strangled...I canÂ´t breathe! I...I..."  
  
"Elrod! Elrod get to your sences!!" Elrod felt himself being shaken wildly and he opened his eyes, staring into Kathy's. First now, he heard his own panicked heartbeat, and he saw claw-marks in Kathy's shoulders.  
  
"W..w..what happened!?" he stuttered, quivering all over.  
  
"You panicked...when you where in the middle of telling about your nightmare, you suddenly panicked!" Kathy said. Then she hugged him close as he began to whimper, tears escaping from his eyes.  
  
"It...it seemed like...I was dreaming again...I pictured everything...." He whispered, quivering despite of the heat in the room. Kathy gently stroked his hair, soothing him.  
  
"Sshhh.....shhh.....its OK baby...its OK...." she whispered. Gently, she lifted up Elrods chin and kissed him softly, wanting to make him feel better. He jittered a second, then kissed back, holding her close. Just the feeling of her touch made him feel safe and comfortable...  
  
"Kathy..." he whispered as he gently kissed her neck, making her purr his name.  
  
"Please....donÂ´t let me be alone tonight...."  
  
"I wonÂ´t..." she whispered, as she kissed him deeply. Softly, he leaned her back on the bed, his hands exploring each curve of her body.  
  
As the night faded and dawn neared, 2 souls became one.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Callie yawned and stretched as the morning light shined into her face. She sat up in bed and looked around. Where was David?! She frowned, seeing a note on the table and picked it up, then got her glasses to read more clearly. Her eyes widened slightly as she read through.  
  
Dear mrs. Clawson-Briggs  
  
Thankyou for being nice to me, but I canÂ´t stay.  
  
I'm sorry, but I got other things to do, and people  
  
donÂ´t really like me because of what I look like.  
  
Goodbye mrs. Clawson-Briggs. Maybe we will see  
  
eachother again.  
  
David Purvis  
  
Callie looked at the note. Then she jumped out of bed to tell the others what had happened.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Hei Ying leaned back on her obsidian throne, looking at the orb in her hand. Inside the orb, she saw a picture of the snake-kitten she had been talking with, running on a path in MegaKat Swamp. He ran fast, not stopping until he from the top of a hill saw a huge mutated tree.  
  
To some, this would seem like a horrifying place, created by a mind filled with hatred towards katkind.  
  
Here, Morbulous had become the Giant Bacteria.  
  
Here, a giant funguscreature had been created, along with so many other socalled plantimals.  
  
Here, Dr. Viper had lived, and ruled his domain in the swamp.  
  
And the new generation, Vipers son, would continue it from here.  
  
Hei Ying smiled. A few hours in the mortal world was years in her dimension. One single minute could be counted as a century. She had trained the kitten, and he had grown into a fine-looking specimen of his kind. His father had been not too muscular, but that had been changed. The snake-kat had grown from kitten to grownup, and he had a new name. Hei Ying had let him choose it himself by the time he had turned 16 in her world.  
  
As the snake-kat calmly walked into the laboratories that had belonged to his father, plantimals appeared out of nowhere to attack this intruder. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the face of the intruder. The snake-kat smirked as he reached out and stroked one of them. The plantimal screeched slightly, as it recognised the touch of its true master, and a slimy tongue slithered out from its hideous mouth and licked its masters palm. The snake-kat smirked calmly, then looked on the plantimals in front of him.  
  
"Yessss my petsssss......obey your massstersss orderssss....." with a dismissive wave of his hand, the plantimals scattered. Calmly, the snake- kat made his way up the stairs of the lab and was soon at the top, having a view to the city. He narrowed his eyes as the sun sent its rays across the city, the light shining in the metal and glass of the many buildings. He bared his fangs and hissed.  
  
"You will sssee MegaKat City! You will learn to fear the name of Nexus!!"  
  
Nexus clenched his fist and laughed, the sound ecchoing through the swamp.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED..... 


End file.
